


Is This Your Dog?

by YennaWang



Series: Tumblr Requests [42]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Naga's the best wingdog
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-20 15:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13720947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YennaWang/pseuds/YennaWang
Summary: Request: How about a fic where Korra is a quadriplegic former athlete who attends college with her service dog? Naga is normally very well behaved on campus, until one day she goes off leash and tackles the most beautiful girl Korra's ever seen. Doggo assisted meet cute for Korra and Asami, heh.





	1. Chapter 1

Korra’s father kneeled down in front of her so that he could look her in the eye. He placed his hand over his daughters and smiled softly.

“If you need anything just call. You’ve got this, Little Bear.”

Korra rolled her eyes at her father. “Thanks, but you’re kind of being embarrassing.”

Tonraq’s thick laughter filled Korra’s ears as he stood at his full height. “You better pay attention, don’t ogle too many girls. I heard this place is full of the smartest and prettiest.”

“Oh really?” Korra chuckled. “Maybe I’ll be ogling the guys.”

“It doesn’t matter who you’re looking at… just pay attention and get that diploma.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t start this!”

Tonraq waved off Korra as he got back into the van.

“Have fun and good luck,” he said through the rolled down window.

“I’ll try to.”

Korra watched as her father drove away. She took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out. She looked down and smiled softly.

“You ready, Naga?” she asked her service dog.

Naga looked up at her with her big brown eyes and Korra’s smile grew. She moved her shaky hand to the joystick on her power chair and begin her first real day of being a college student.

* * *

It took time, but Korra gradually got used to the looks she got from the other students. At least in her classes people had been accepting, but she still got those leering looks at times from people not used to seeing a student with such a visible disability.

She hadn’t always been like this. She hadn’t always been paralyzed from her neck down with very limited movement in her arms and above her neck. She used to be the most active person out there. She was someone who was never able to sit still, always doing something. She had been coordinated and athletic, to the point that she had earned a scholarship her junior year in high school for hockey. She had been at the top of her game when the accident had happened. When she had taken a blind check that resulted in her back injury.

After that, Korra had gone through some very dark and hard times. She struggled to wake up and get on with her day. She struggled to stay in contact with her friends. She struggled to even interact with her parents. Even now she struggled, but she was definitely in a better space.

Korra was smart, smarter than the average student and luckily the college that had first given her the scholarship, didn’t retract it. They gave her academic scholarships instead, allowing her to pursue her love of psychology and human behavior.

The fact that she hadn’t lost her scholarship, was the first big step of her getting through her hardest of times. The next was the help of the service dog that her parents had gotten her. Naga wasn’t just a service dog, she was her companion, her best friend. She was there when she needed someone to talk to without being judged. She was just there and that’s what she needed. The next big step was her realizing that her life wasn’t over. Sports had been her life, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t find a new passion and a reason to live. What became her new passion was the ability to help people. She joined therapy groups and realized that she was empathetic, good at reading people, a good listening, and could process things objectively. It was clear to her and her parents that she’d found her new path. The path of helping people who were going through similar struggles as her. A path that allowed her to show that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it didn’t seem so.

So that’s what brought Korra to majoring in psychology. That’s what brought her to going through the hallways of the newly remodeled building, Naga right by her side.

“Door,” she said softly, only loud enough for Naga to pick up.

Naga instantly moved to the handicap button and pushed a large paw against it. She waited for Korra to go through and then followed after her, eventually falling into stride beside her.

“Good, girl,” Korra praised. “We’re off to Kingsbury… time to slowly die in calc.”

Naga huffed in response, causing Korra to smile.

The campus was fairly large, but was definitely wheelchair accessible. The sidewalks were wide and without cracks. There weren’t large hills or places only accessible by stairs. That was one huge thing that helped Korra decide that the college was still the right place for her.

Naga and her made their way through the large courtyard, getting close and closer to Kingsbury. It usually took Korra five minutes to get from this class to the next, which was fine since she had thirty minutes in between. She often would wait outside the building, mainly people watching and enjoying the nice weather. Today was no different. Her goal was to find a nice shady spot to relax and allow her to think and have a moment.

That at least had been the goal until Naga had veered off the path and started dashing through the freshly trimmed grass.

“Naga!” Korra shouted.

She turned her chair, cutting someone off. “Sorry!” she shouted back at them as she tried to follow her dog. She was glad that her chair was made for all terrains, although it wasn’t very fast and she had no chance of catching up to the dog at full tilt.

“Naga!” she shouted again. “Come back.” Korra’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she watched her service dog leap into the air. The large dog’s paws landed on the back of a taller woman, causing her to stumble forward and for her to fall to her knees. “Naga!” Korra shouted, still quite a ways from her.

She watched in horror as Naga rounded the woman and started licking her face as if she’d known her her whole life. When Korra got closer, she was surprised to hear laughter and a warm voice coming from the woman.

“Hey there, cutie. Where’d you come from?”

“Is this your dog?”

Korra looked up to see a tall guy with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Uh, yeah. I’m so sorry… she’s not usually like this.” Korra swallowed the lump in her throat, not really sure what else to say.

At hearing an unfamiliar voice, the woman who had been mauled by Naga turned her head and smiled at Korra. Korra’s breath hitched as she took in the beautiful woman. When her father had said that the school had the prettiest girls, she hadn’t fully agreed until this very moment. This woman was breathtaking.

“It’s fine. She’s adorable and it’s nice seeing a dog around here.” The woman turned back to take Naga’s face into her hands and rubbed her adoringly. “It should be a crime to not let students have pets.”

Korra chuckled at this. “Well she seems to like you… I mean she did just sprint through the whole courtyard just to jump on your back. I swear she’s normally not like this.”

“Really it’s fine.” The girl stood up and turned fully to face Korra. “I’m Asami and this is Mako,” she introduced.

Korra nodded in greeting. “Korra,” she returned. “And your new friend’s name is Naga.”

“Well she’s adorable.”

Korra was about to agree, but stopped when Mako spoke up.

“We should get going, Asami.”

Asami looked at him and then back to Korra. “Go ahead, I’ll meet up in class.”

Mako gave Asami a curious look and then shrugged. “Okay. Try not to be late,” he said with a smirk before leaving towards Kingsbury.

“Ass,” Asami muttered softly.

Korra laughed softly, causing Asami to open her mouth to say something and then stop to collect herself.

“Sorry, he’s just annoying at times. I don’t usually go around calling my friends asses.”

Korra laughed again. “Good to know.”

“Okay, but seriously. He loves to tease everyone, but he can never take it. He’s super sensitive although he gives off that cool guy vibe.”

“He kind of seemed like a stick was up his ass… was that too crass?”

Asami laughed and Korra’s smile widened.

“No, that’s pretty accurate. So, you’re a student here?” Asami asked as she kneeled down to pet Naga. Naga instantly laid down and rolled over, allowing Asami to rub her tummy. “So cute,” she said under her breath.

“Yeah. First year, majoring in psych.”

“Oh cool. I’m a second year,” Asami said looking up at Korra. “Double majoring in mechanical engineering and computer science.”

“What? How are you doing that without going crazy?”

“Very carefully,” Asami laughed. “Honestly getting to pet Naga’s been a great help.”

“Well she is a service dog even if she doesn’t seem like it at the moment.”

The dog was legitimately smirking and looked like she was in doggie heaven at the moment with her tongue lolling from her mouth and her tail wagging.

“Um, if you wanted to exchange numbers,” Korra hesitated and cleared her throat. “You could, um, text or call me and I could bring Naga to spend time with you.”

“Only Naga? Or will you hang out too?”

“We’re kind of a package deal.”

Asami smiled at that. “Then sure.” She stood up and pulled her phone out of her back pocket, handing it to Korra to add her contact info. When she got it back, she sent a quick text to Korra. “There, now you have my number.”

“Uh, cool.”

Asami smiled and then her eyes widened. “I need to get going. I’ll call or text you, okay?”

“Yeah. It was nice meeting you.”

“You as well,” Asami said happily. She patted Naga’s head once more. “Bye, Korra!” she shouted with a wave as she crossed the courtyard.

Korra wished that she could wave back, but instead just smiled. Once Asami was out of view, she looked down at Naga. “She was nice. Wasn’t she, girl?”

Naga let out soft bark, as if in agreement.

“We better get to class. Best not to be late.”


	2. Chapter 2

“To where?” Senna asked as she looked back over her shoulder at Korra.

“I need a ride to the theater.”

Senna turned completely to face her daughter. “Are you meeting someone?”

“Just a friend, but yes.”

“That’s fantastic,” Senna said with a smile before turning back to preparing dinner. “Is this friend from school?”

“Yeah, we’ve been hanging out. Naga really likes her. Dontcha, girl?” she asked as she glanced down at her dog. “She’s the girl Naga jumped on.”

“Oh, the pretty one you kept gushing about.”

“I wasn’t gushing!” Korra defended. “And me saying that she was pretty aloud was an accident.”

“But it must be true.”

“She is pretty,” Korra admitted softly. 

“Who’s pretty?”

Korra turned her head to see her father walking into the kitchen.

“A friend Korra’s going to the movies with tomorrow.”

“A friend?”

“Yes, a friend, Dad,” Korra groaned.

Tonraq laughed as he stood behind Korra and placed his hand on her shoulder. 

“Well it’s good to see you branching out again,” Tonraq encouraged.

* * *

“Naga, when Asami gets here you need to not pull on the leash and be a good girl. We’re in public and I’d rather you not make a fool of me again,” Korra teased her dog quietly. She’d arrived early, not really wanting to have Asami see her father drop her off. She knew that Asami wouldn’t judge her, but she wanted some semblance of control, some semblance of freedom.

Korra waited to the side, not wanting to be in anyone’s way. She watched silently as people filtered into the theater, many of them couples clearly on dates. Korra had to tell herself repeatedly that this wasn’t a date and just an outing with a friend. She wouldn’t have hated it if it were a date though.

Asami and her had met a couple of times now. Every time being on campus. They’d sat in the courtyard a couple of times, allowing Asami to get her Naga fix and them to just talk and get to know each other. Three other times, Korra had hung out with Asami in her dorm room. Asami had paid extra to have a single, they’d spent the time watching movies and shows, talking about books they’d both read or recommended, discussing their courses and what they wanted to do in the future. It was easy with Asami. She never looked at Korra like she was different. She never treated her as if she was different. Asami treated her like she was just another person, like everyone else and it was refreshing. 

Korra didn’t see Asami, but she knew she had arrived due to Naga’s tail thumping against the side of her chair as it wagged. But when she did see Asami, her breath hitched and her stomach fluttered. Again she reminded herself that this wasn’t a date and Asami probably hadn’t put extra effort into how she looked because of her. It was probably just because they weren't meeting on campus this time around and Asami wanted to look nice in public.

Asami was in a white pleated mini skirt and she was wearing an off the shoulder red crop top with long sleeves. Her legs looked longer than ever in black heels and her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders. Instead of her usual purple eyeshadow, she’d gone with a more smokey eye, something that made her green eyes pop even more. 

Korra was barely able to process everything and also think of a greeting by the time Asami had closed the space between them. Naga sat up taller, tilting her nose up and waited for Asami to greet her.

“I hope you didn’t wait too long,” Asami said as she patted Naga’s head, but looked at Korra.

“We haven’t, don’t worry.”

“Okay, let me go grab the tickets.”

“I have mo-”

Asami lifted her hand and waved Korra off. “I got it.”

Before Korra could even protest, Asami was off  to buy the tickets. Korra didn’t have to wait long before her friend returned.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to,” Korra said.

“Don’t worry about it. Did you want a drink or popcorn?”

“Um, no that’s okay.”

“You sure?”

Korra paused, contemplating whether she should be honest with Asami or not. She felt comfortable around her, but it was still hard reminding people of what she could and what she couldn’t do.

“Yeah. If you want something feel free to get something. I can wait here with Naga.”

“No, I’m good too.” Suddenly Asami’s expression changed and she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she didn’t look with pity upon Korra, but looked like she was upset with herself instead. “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Korra asked confused.

“We’ve talked about this before, remember when I asked you if you wanted to get lunch with Mako and I? You said you didn’t like to eat in front of others because… you know…” Asami’s voice trailed off, clearly not sure how to say what she was thinking.

“Oh yeah… I kind of forgot that I’ve already told you. Also you don’t need to avoid saying that I can’t feed myself. I can’t really do a lot of things without some sort of aid.”

“Okay. I’m going to be brave and ask again then… do you want popcorn or a drink because I don’t mind helping a bit… but that’s only if you felt comfortable with me doing that. It’s cool if you really don’t want anything,” Asami rambled.

“What do you think of Twizzlers?” Korra asked.

A relieved smile spread over Asami’s face. “I love them.”

* * *

After the awkwardness of figuring out concessions, everything seemed to fall into place. Asami had taken one of the seats near the front of the theater so that Korra could park her chair in one of the open handicap areas. They’d laughed about the pre-show commercials and every now and again Asami would give Korra a Twizzler. The first time had caused them both to laugh when Asami had missed Korra’s mouth and had poked her in the nose by accident.

Throughout the movie, Asami would randomly hold up a Twizzler for Korra to take and each time she would. Even if she hadn’t wanted it, although she had, she would have taken it. She was surprised at how Asami did something that could be awkward with such ease. Even though it wasn’t normal, Asami acted as if it were.

Korra found herself turning her head just enough to see Asami out of the corner of her eye. She smiled softly as she saw the creases at the corner of Asami’s eyes as she laughed during a funny scene. She was so pretty, but what really made her beautiful was the person that she was. Korra hated to admit it, but she had a crush on her new friend. She’d never felt so comfortable with herself around anyone, but her parents, that was, until she’d met Asami.

* * *

Korra, Asami and Naga waited outside of the theater for Korra’s father once the movie had ended. Although Korra had insisted that Asami didn’t need to stay, the girl had refused to leave. So Asami had taken a seat on the bench with her legs crossed and Naga had jumped onto the bench, lying beside Asami with her head resting in her lap. Asami continued to stroke the dog absentmindedly as Korra and her discussed the movie that they had just seen.

It didn’t take long for her father to pull up into a handicap spot and park the van. 

“That’s him,” Korra said once Asami had finished talking. 

“Oh, okay.” Asami moved to stand up in front of Korra, causing Naga to stir and jump off of the bench to return to Korra’s side. Asami reached out and placed her hand gently on Korra’s. “I had a really good time. Maybe we could do this again?”

Korra smiled warmly up at her, her hand tingling slightly from the light touch of Asami’s hand on hers. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Great. I’ll text you then. Get home safely, Korra.” Asami squeezed Korra's hand lightly and then pulled away. 

“You too.”

Korra watched for a moment as Asami walked away, her skirt fluttering slightly. She then let out a long sigh and checked the street before crossing the road to her parent’s van. Her father was already outside, leaning against the side of the car.

“She is really pretty,” he said with a smirk. 

Korra didn’t even bother deny the fact and as she rolled up the ramp, she muttered a soft, “Yeah, she is.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 2am and suddenly I had this spur to write another chapter for this fic... so here it is. It's short, but I really like it.

Korra’s lower lip jutted out slightly as she thought about the person that Asami had pointed out across the courtyard. The girl was well dressed, a slightly preppy look and her long blonde hair blew in the soft wind. 

“She was top of her class in high school, the Queen Bee. But now that she’s in college, she’s just this average girl and she’s still trying to figure out where she fits in the world.”

Asami nodded and then pointed to a boy that was in sweats and a t-shirt, his backpack hanging low on his back. “Okay, how about him?”

“He’s nice, but feels as if he’s owed something by women. He believes in the friend zone and consistently gets mad when a girl rejects him.”

Asami laughed at that one and then pointed to another guy, dressed in all black and his hair messy as if he’d just rolled out of bed.

“He’s got that easy-going, no care in the world vibe, but he’s actually super nice, really emotional, and very compassionate. He’s the type of person people want to have as a close friend.”

“Do you really do this for everyone you see?”

“Most of them. It’s kind of fun trying to create backstories and personalities for people you don’t know.”

“It is.”

Asami was sitting on the grass, petting Naga’s belly who was lying on her back with all four legs in the air. 

“You really never do this?”

“I like people watching, but I’ve never gone to the extent of imagining lives for them.” Asami looked up at Korra and then furrowed her brow. “Did you do the same to me and Mako when we met?”

“Um,” Korra started hesitantly.

“You so did! What’d you think? Be honest.”

“Well… I first thought that you two were dating and didn’t actually know you weren’t until you had told me you were single when we hung out. But for Mako, I thought he looked cool, but too tense. Maybe has more responsibilities than most people his age.”

“Well that’s accurate, considering he had to take care of his younger brother after his parent’s passed,” Asami confirmed.

“Wow, I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. He’s a really good guy. His brother and him were in and out of the system, but both of them still did really well in school and got scholarships to attend college. His younger brother’s at a different school, but they’re constantly texting and calling one another.” Asami’s hand fiddled with Naga’s large paw as she continued to talk. “And what about me?”

“I didn’t need to make up much because I already could tell you were a good person. Naga doesn’t just like anyone and she definitely doesn’t go against my orders, but she did for you. Plus you weren’t even mad even though she knocked you down and licked you.”

“Well she’s cute.”

Korra chuckled softly and continued. “I guess I assumed that you were smart and not just a pretty face, at least from how you spoke and held yourself.”

“You flatter me.”

“It’s true though.”

“Well thank you, Korra,” Asami said softly, still not looking up from Naga.

“I assume you made assumptions about me,” Korra said hesitantly.

“I did.” 

Korra stared at Asami, waiting for her to continue to speak, but she didn’t. So Korra spoke instead, “Most people notice the wheelchair first and make assumptions as to how it happened.”

“That wasn’t it.”

“No?” Korra asked surprised.

Asami finally looked up with a soft smile on her face. “Nope. Not what I was thinking about.”

“Then what were you thinking?” Korra asked curiously.

Asami’s gaze returned to Naga and she rubbed her belly more.

“I was thinking about how a cute dog had such a cute owner,” Asami admitted quietly.

Korra’s stomach tightened at Asami’s words and she coughed slightly, clearing her throat of nothing. Before she could really process words to respond with, Asami began talking again.

“I guess I was still kind of curious about the service dog and wheelchair, but I was more interested in getting to know you. I don’t usually give out my number to people unless I’ve known them or we’re in the same classes.”

“Wow,” was all Korra seemed to be able to think of.

Asami looked up at her with her nose scrunched up slightly. “I made things weird… haven’t I?”

“No,” Korra blurted loudly. She looked away quickly out of embarrassment though. “I just didn’t expect you to say something like that. But, um… I’m really glad that we’ve gotten to know each other.”

Asami smiled and reached out to place her hand gently over Korra’s like she had outside the movie theater. Korra looked back at Asami and returned her smile.

“Me too. Would it be too much to ask you on an official date?” Asami asked bravely.

Korra couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face. “I’d like that.”

Asami smiled back at her and held her hand just a little tighter. Her attention was drawn away though when she felt Naga pawing at her leg to get her attention.

“It seems that I’ve ignored my responsibilities of pleasing Naga,” Asami shook her head as she took her hand away from Korra’s and used both hands to cup Naga’s face and squished it up. “I was trying to have a moment with your owner and you’ve ruined it,” she giggled playfully.

Korra just smiled softly as she watched her crush be so affectionate with her favorite companion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Asami’s POV.

Asami paced her room back and forth. She couldn’t stay still as she tried to process everything that had happened.

“I don’t even know where to take her,” she muttered as she covered her face in frustration.

“She mentioned she liked hockey… how about a hockey game?” Mako suggested. She had been on speaker phone with her best friend for the past half hour in a flustered tizzy.

“Is it wheelchair accessible? Will she even be able to see the game well?” Asami asked.

“Yeah. They’ve got special seating areas. Just call in advance to get one since they’re limited.”

“Would that even be a good first date… I mean we went to the movies and it felt so much like a date… but this is legit. I actually asked her out and now I have no idea what to do.”

“What about star gazing or maybe that zoo that’s not too far from here? Does she like art? Maybe a museum. Or a comedy show,” Mako listed.

“I don’t knowwww,” Asami groaned as she plopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

“I just listed some great ideas. None of them sounded good to you?”

“They all do. I just don’t know what she’d like best.”

“Text her then.”

“What!? No, I want to try and keep it a surprise, at least until the day of.”

Mako laughed. “Well then you’re just going to have to take a chance then.”

“Maybe the zoo would be good. We’d be able to talk and it’d allow Naga to be able to walk around too.”

“Then go with that.”

“But I know she also likes hockey…”

“Then that one.”

“She’s also wicked funny, so maybe she’d like the comedy show.”

“Oh my god, Asami,” Mako groaned. “We’re not getting anywhere.”

“This is so hard though. I want her to have fun.”

“Put the three ideas in a hat and pull one out. The one you draw is the one you plan,” Mako suggested.

“Ugh, fine.”

Asami slid off her bed and grabbed a baseball cap that she wore when running. She then wrote the ideas on scrap paper and dropped them into the cap. She closed her eyes as she swirled her hand around, mixing up the papers. She drew one out and unfolded it. 

“So what’d you get?” Mako asked.

* * *

Unlike last time, Asami was the first one to arrive at the place they’d decided to meet at. She had considered asking Korra if there was anyway they could carpool together, but had decided against it. Of course it made it so that the date wasn't a surprise, but that was fine. Instead she had just asked her to meet at the aquarium that was thirty or so minutes away from campus. It hadn’t been anything Mako had suggested, but she had thought of the idea last minute and knew that it was the right plan. It was something relaxed, but also something that was fun and interesting.

Asami ran through the plan in her head, thinking of what to say once Korra got there. She was thinking of what part of the aquarium they should go to first. She was thinking of what they should talk about. She knew that she was overthinking everything, but she couldn’t stop it. She just wanted everything to go well, which definitely wasn’t a crime.

* * *

“Korra,” Asami said softly as she placed her hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“Hm?” Korra asked, looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

Asami furrowed her brow. It had felt like Korra wasn’t really here with her. Like the girl had been daydreaming the whole date or that she just wasn’t invested at the moment.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“O-okay,” she said as she pulled her hand away and played with them in front of herself.

Asami wasn’t sure what more to say, so she just returned her attention back to the sea life swimming around in the large central tank of the aquarium. It was beautiful and calming, but Asami was anything but calm at the moment. She was concern that she’d done something wrong, but she had no idea what. Even Naga seemed more mellow and almost down today. The dog that was usually so happy to see Asami, had just calmly greeted her and then stayed as close to Korra's side as possible.

“Do you like the ocean?” Asami asked.

“I used to love swimming,” Korra admitted. “The ocean’s so impressive due to its size and all the things we still don’t know about it.”

“Yeah. It actually scares me and I don’t swim often, at least not in the ocean.”

“I see.”

Asami looked down at Korra and noticed that she was grimacing slightly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I… yeah.”

“Korra, you know you can tell me if something’s wrong. LIke if you don’t like the aquarium we can go somewhere else.”

“No, I like it here.”

Asami let out a long sigh and moved to stand in front of Korra. She leaned down so that their eyes were level. Korra was paler than usual and something about her usually vibrant eyes were off. 

“Really, something's wrong. Please tell me.” Asami pleaded as she took Korra’s hand into her own.

“It’s that obvious, huh?”

Asami furrowed her brow. “I wouldn’t say obvious since I don’t know what’s wrong. But I know there’s something up.”

Korra closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself and Asami felt Korra’s hand tighten a little bit around hers.

“So I get these random stints of pain. It’s like my whole body is constantlt throbbing and I try to ignore it, but obviously it’s hard to ignore something that’s kind of overtaking your body.”

“And that’s happening now?”

“It started this morning, but I didn’t want to cancel on you,” Korra confessed softly.

Asami frowned at hearing this. “We could have rescheduled. I want you to be enjoying your time with me, not in pain.”

“I wanted to see you though and I know you put effort into planning this.”

Asami let out a little huff and lifted her hand to Korra’s cheek. “You’re too sweet.” She smoothed her thumb over Korra’s dark skin for a moment and then dropped her hand back to her side. “Let’s call your parents to get you picked up and we can do this another time.”

“No it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Asami said quickly. “You need to take care of yourself.”

“And I am. I want to be with you.”

Asami didn’t mean to laugh, but she did. The woman in front of her was so sincere and caring that it often caught her off guard. “Then what about this, I call your parents and then we head back to your place and watch a movie or something?”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course,” Asami said with a soft smile.

* * *

Asami leaned against the door jamb as she watched Tonraq situate Korra onto her bed. He cradled her as he adjusted the pillows to prop her up enough to be able to see the television.

“Good?” he asked once he lowered Korra’s head.

“Yeah. Thanks, Dad.”

“Anything for you, Little Bear.”

“Daddd,” Korra groaned.

Tonraq flashed his smile at Asami as he squeezed by her. It was clear that was where Korra had gotten her amazing smile from. He looked back one more time before turning down the hallway and leaving them.

“You can shut the door,” Korra said, drawing Asami’s attention.

“Oh, okay.” 

Asami shut the door and then looked around the room, not really sure what to do.

“The remote's over in front of the tv,” Korra instructed. “We can find something on Netflix if you want.”

“That’s good with me.” Asami grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. She then selected Netflix and stared at the screen as it loaded.

“Are you just going to stand there or join me?”

Asami looked back at Korra, a slight blush on her cheeks. “I wasn’t sure if-”

“Asami, we’ve shared a bed at your dorm when we watched movies, it’s no different.”

“Yeah,” Asami said. But it was different now. This was still a date, not just two friends hanging out. Asami didn’t want to make things awkward though, so she eased herself onto the bed beside Korra. The bed was large enough so she was careful to leave some space between them.

“So what should we watch?” Korra asked.

“I’m good with anything.”

“Um, okay. Let’s make this a little easier, movie or show?”

“Either,” Asami laughed.

“You’re no help!”

“Fine fine, tv show,” Asami gasped between her laughing.

“Have you seen Brooklyn Nine-Nine?”

“No, but I’ve heard it’s funny.”

“How about that then?”

Asami didn’t answer verbally, instead she just found the show and started the first episode. About ten minutes into the film, she felt a light touch to the side of her thigh. She looked down to see Korra’s pinky extended and in response Asami slipped her hand into Korra’s. When she looked up from their clasped hands, she found that Korra was already looking at her with a soft expression.

“You know you don’t need to sit so far away,” Korra chuckled.

“I, um. I wasn’t sure…” Asami’s voice trailed off, not really sure how to explain herself and her thoughts.

“That’s me giving you permission to cuddle. But if you don’t want to-”

“I’m going to stop you right there. Because there’s no way in hell I’d say no to that.”

Korra laughed as Asami adjusted herself on the bed so that their sides were touching and their clasped hands were in Asami’s lap. Asami then even dared to rest her head gently on Korra’s shoulder.

“Is this okay?” she asked softly.

“Much better,” Korra chuckled.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“No. It’s kind of hard to explain the pain… but it’s neurological pain. It’s, uh, when the nerves send abnormal signals, so it’s not really from someone touching me or anything.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, it’s weird.”

Asami lifted her head to meet Korra’s eyes. “They don’t know much about spinal injuries, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you, um, tried to…get better?” Asami really wasn't sure how to ask these types of things, but Korra seemed to understand.

“I did the first two years post injury. My parents brought me to tons of specialists and we tried everything to get some mobility back. What you see now is where we got and then my progression stalled.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve learned to live with it.”

Asami bit her lower lip and nodded. She suddenly noticed how close their faces were and she could feel her heart beat faster. 

“Korra, can I ask you something else?”

“Of course.”

“Have you dated since your accident?”

Korra shook her head slightly and Asami nodded in return.

“Honestly this is all pretty new to me. I didn’t date in high school because I was busy with my classes and sports. And then obviously the accident happened… and well, that’s pretty self explanatory.”

It pained Asami to hear Korra’s voice go weak. She didn’t have to elaborate more to understand what Korra was getting at. With an injury as severe as the one she’d experienced and the outcome of it, it was no surprise that Korra would assume that dating would be out of the picture. 

“Does that chan-”

“It doesn’t change how I feel,” Asami interrupted, knowing what Korra was going to ask.

Korra smiled at Asami, her cheeks flushed just a little bit.

“That’s good to know.”

Asami’s gaze dropped down to Korra’s lips and then back up. She knew that she wanted to kiss her, but she wasn’t sure if Korra felt the same way. But she also didn’t want to ask, feeling that it would be awkward.

“Can I ask you something now?” Korra’s voice was soft, hesitant.

“Yeah.”

“Why’d you even ask me out on a date? I mean you could date anyone, Asami.”

Asami’s eyes narrowed as she looked Korra straight in the eye. “I want to date you.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Please stop,” Asami interrupted. “I like you, Korra. I wouldn’t have asked you on a date if I didn’t. I like that you’re caring and empathetic. But I like most when you talk about social justice and how passionate you can get. I like how your face lights up when you talk about psychology. I like the way you can teach me about the sports that I used to find boring. I like that you know what you enjoy and are able to make others see why they’re enjoyable.”

Asami sat up slightly so that she could brush a stray strand of hair away from Korra’s face. Her hand lingered before it landed on Korra’s cheek.

“I like your smile. I like how expressive your eyes are. I like how easy it is to talk to you. How easy it is to have fun with you.”

Asami could tell that Korra didn’t know what to say in response. So instead she spoke bravely.

“Can I kiss you?” Asami watched as Korra’s cheeks flushed, but she nodded just enough to confirm that she did want Asami to kiss her.

The corner of Asami’s lips lifted into a soft smile as she began to slowly lean in. She held her breath as her lips brushed against Korra’s. She felt Korra move just enough to press more firmly against her lips. 

It wasn’t like any other kiss she’d had before. Sure she had always wished that her stomach would flutter and her heart would speed up, but it never had, at least not until this very moment. 

Asami’s hand slipped to the back of Korra’s head to cradle it and she deepened the kiss. She felt Korra’s breath against her lips as she sighed into the kiss.

Asami’s not sure how long they kiss for, but she is well aware that she’s short of breath and her heart feels as if it could beat right out of her chest when she pulled away. As soon as her eyes opened, her eyes drop to the smile on Korra’s lips. She then looked up and her breath caught at the look that Korra was giving her. She felt Korra’s hand squeeze her own as she lowered her head to rest on Korra’s shoulder again. 

“So we missed that episode,” Korra laughed as she realized that they were already halfway through the second episode.

“We did,” Asami said softly as she played with Korra’s fingers.

“I didn’t mind though. I’ve watched all of this before.”

Asami laughed and grabbed the remote with her free hand. “Well I haven’t, so we need to go back.”

“Only if you kiss me again.”

Asami giggled as she sat up. “Well maybe we should just pause this then,” she said as she pressed pause and dropped the remote to the bed. She then cupped Korra’s face, bringing their lips back together once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got a message on tumblr about this fic. It was a really special message, one that made me remember why writing can be so amazing and why I do it. I hadn't intended for this chapter to go this way, but it seemed to 'write itself' in a sense. I hope you all liked the update and hope you all had a good week.
> 
> You can find me at ahhhsami.tumblr.com.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back to Korra's POV.

Korra sat silently as the laptop on her lap played a movie she hadn’t been paying attention to. Instead her attention was on Asami. Asami had arranged the pillows on her bed to prop Korra up and set up Netflix. But once she’d done that, she went to her desk to work on her project for engineering. She’d been working on some type of diagram for the past two hours, but Korra was pretty sure Asami had no clue how much time had passed, especially since she had said that she’d watch the movie with her as soon as she was done. 

Korra watched as Asami’s hand that wasn’t holding the pencil stroked Naga’s head absentmindedly. Naga had been sitting next to Asami since the moment they had arrived to her dorm room. Korra didn’t mind though. It was cute seeing Naga with Asami. 

Korra stayed silent until the ending credits began to roll. She knew that Asami needed to get her work done and didn’t want to interrupt her without a good reason, but now that the movie was over, she didn’t have anything to do.

“Asami,” Korra spoke up.

Asami didn’t react though, completely hyperfocused on her work.

“Asami!”

Asami’s head jerked up and she turned to look at Korra over her shoulder.

“Hmm?” she hummed.

“The movie’s over.”

“What? It’s over?” As she spoke she stood up and started to make her way to her bed that Korra was sitting on.

“Yeah. You kinda missed it.”

“Oh.” Asami closed her laptop and put it onto the night stand. “Was it good?” she asked as she settled on the edge of the bed to Korra’s side.

“Okay, I guess.”

“Sorry that I didn’t watch it with you. I lose track of time when I’m working sometimes.”

“It’s okay.”

Asami smiled softly at Korra and moved forward, pecking her on the cheek. She then leaned in towards Korra’s ear. “Anyway I can make it up to you?”

Korra felt her cheeks warm up. “Hmmm. Let me think,” Korra hummed in a surprisingly steady voice.

Asami pulled away, one of her eyebrows raised waiting for Korra’s answer.

“What would make me feel better?” Korra asked herself. “Oh I know! That chocolate over there.” Korra nodded her head over to Asami’s desk.

“I was thinking of kisses, but fine.” Asami slid off her bed and grabbed the candy bar that she had gotten earlier that week from people trying to promote their club in one of the academic buildings. 

“I can’t have both?”

Asami laughed as she opened the candybar and took a bite of it.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be giving it to me!” Korra joked.

“Oh… I am,” Asami mumbled slightly as she crawled back onto her bed and settled atop Korra, straddling her. She placed a hand under Korra’s chin and tilted her head up as she leaned down until their lips met. 

Korra could taste the faint trace of chocolate on Asami’s lips, but it wasn’t until she parted her lips and Asami’s tongue slid into her mouth did she get the full, bitter taste of chocolate. Korra hummed at the feeling of kissing Asami so deeply and the taste of the dark chocolate. 

Asami ended the kiss all too soon though. “Did that make things a little better?” Asami asked, her eyes still focused on Korra’s lips.

“A little. I wouldn’t mind some more chocolate though.”

Asami laughed as she held the chocolate bar up to Korra’s lips. Korra then proceeded to take a substantial chunk out of the bar. 

“Mmmm, dark chocolate’s my favorite.”

“I like milk chocolate,” Asami responded. “Dark chocolate can be too bitter at times.”

“Eh, that’s what makes it good.”

“You must hate white chocolate then.”

“Yeah, I’m not a fan.”

“I like it, but only in small amounts.” Asami held the bar back up to Korra’s mouth.

“I’m all set now, but thanks.”

“Okay.” Korra watched as Asami wrapped the chocolate bar back up and tossed it across her room to land on the surface of her desk. “Can I ask you something?”

Korra nodded. Asami could ask her anything if she wanted to.

“So we’ve gone on a couple dates now and have hung out a lot, but we never, um….” Asami cleared her throat and then continued. “We haven’t really said that we’re more than just dating… and I kind of was wondering if I could… call you my girlfriend? Like my dad has been asking about you and I wasn’t even sure what to call you since we haven’t talked about this. And Mako keeps teasing me saying that it’s not official and we’re just casually dating, but it feels like more. And-”

“I’d like that,” Korra said to stop Asami’s nervous rambling. “Tell your dad I’m your girlfriend and tell Mako to fuck off.”

Asami giggled as she threw her arms around Korra’s shoulders and hugged her. She buried her face into the crook of Korra’s neck and let out a relieved sigh.

“How long had you been wanting to talk about this?”

“A couple weeks,” Asami admitted softly.

“You want to know the truth? I kind of just assumed we were girlfriends already,” Korra chuckled. “I mean you’ve met my parents a handful of times now and we spend so much time together there’s no way it was just a casual thing.”

“It’s not my fault Mako planted the little seed of doubt.”

Korra felt Asami’s nose nuzzle into her neck, tickling her slightly.

“Are you almost done with your work?”

Asami nodded against Korra’s neck. “Almost.”

“Well how about you finish it up and then we can figure out something to do.”

“Or we can just stay like this. I don’t really want to go back to it."

“When’s it due?”

“I have all week.”

“Well then you should definitely take a break,” Korra chuckled.

“Yeah.” Asami kissed Korra’s neck gently. “We.” With each kiss she traveled further up Korra’s neck and to her lips, lingering just out of reach. “Should,” she whispered before closing the gap.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave comments and kudos if you think there should be more to this fic!


End file.
